First and foremost, I want to thank every single one of you for being patient with me. The last couple years I have been so very busy trying to get my life back on track and trying to find enough time to start on this story again. I have updated and changed a lot of things in all the past chapters, so please, if you want, reread them! I'm excited to be back and continue my story line with Lauren Gilmore. And I'm also super excited about the revival that is coming in November. So, this definitely seems to be happening at a great time! This chapter isn't much, but I hope you all enjoy it and I can't wait to give you more!


The girls are walking through the town square with Lane while they are on their way to Luke's. Lorelai had just told Lane that she and her band can practice in their garage since they never use it, and plus, Lane and her band were struggling with finding a new place to practice. She couldn't go out of Stars Hollow risking her mother finding out.

"Are you serious?" Lane asks Lorelai.

"I am serious." Lorelai tells her.

"We can really rehearse in your garage?"

"In exchange for a promise that you never pose naked on the cover of Rolling Stone, no matter how much trouble your career is in."

"I promise. I love you. Do you know how amazing your mother is?" Lane asks Rory and Lauren.

Lorelai rolls her eyes. "No. Tell them, would you? They forgot this morning." Lorelai says.

"Because hot water is enjoyed by all, not just by you." Rory reminds her.

"I wasn't in the shower that long." Lorelai tells Lane.

Lauren looks around and sees that they are putting decorations up around the town. "It's winter carnival time again already." She says, excitingly.

"Are you going?" Rory asks Lane.

"I have to." Lane frowns. "We're raising money for the marching band this year. Mandatory booth-manning is involved."

"Man, Lane, marching band, rock band." Lorelai says, looking impressed.

"Music is my life."

"Hi, Mrs. Kim!" Lorelai yells.

Lane gasps and looks around realizing Lorelai is joking. "Not funny."

"Raising money for the marching band to do what?" Rory asks.

"Please let it be new uniforms." Lauren says.

"It's for letters, so we can have letter carriers." Lane tells them. "For some reason, the powers that be think we never win at competitions is because no one knows who we are. The fact we suck doesn't matter." Lane explains. "What's wrong with our uniforms?" Lane asks Lauren.

Lauren looks away. "Nothing."

"We look stupid, right?"

"No." Lauren says quickly.

"The plumes are big and it looks like blood spurting out of our heads."

"I love the uniforms." Lauren tells her, regretting that she said anything at all about them.

"It's bad enough that I'm in the band without being mocked for what is mandatory for us to wear."

"I didn't mean— "Lauren looks at Lorelai for help.

"Your uniforms are great." Rory assures her best friend. "And knowing who you are can help. Let's just enjoy the snow, okay?" Lane takes a deep breath and she and the girls take in the snow. "Especially since some of us are freezing since our showers this morning."

"I wasn't in there that long." Lorelai stresses.

"I'm sorry. Can we get back to the uniforms? On a scale of one to 10 how much do I not want to let Dave see me like that?" Lane asks.

"Ten." Lorelai, Rory, and Lauren say together.

"Okay, thanks."


Rory is in math class in a middle of a lesson. The teacher is speaking so fast Madeline couldn't keep up.

"Paris, what did he say?" She asks Paris, who doesn't seem to be paying any attention at all to the lesson. "He's talking too fast. I missed it."

"Ask Louise." Paris says as she continues absentmindedly scribbling in her notebook.

Madeline turns around. "Louise, what did he say?"

Louise looks equally confused. "I don't know, ask Paris."

"She told me to ask you."

"Why would she do that?"

"I don't know."

"Did you guys have a fight?"

"Not that I know of."

"The right integral, however, is more complex. You have to use u-substitution, with 'U' equals 3 feet." The bell interrupts the teacher. "We'll pick up at the same place tomorrow."

Rory walks over to Paris's desk where she is still scribbling around her notebook. "The bell rang." She tells her.

"What?" Paris asks.

"The bell. That loud metal musical contraption when hit loudly by a vibrating mallet signals the end of this educational experience." Rory explains.

Paris looks at Rory then she suddenly realizes everyone is leaving class. "Class is over?" She asks.

"Yes."

"What did he talk about?" Paris asks Madeline.

"Ask Louise." Madeline mocks Paris from earlier.

"I didn't take notes. I didn't pay attention. I'm going to—"

"Borrow my notes, you'll do fine." Rory says as she gives Paris her notebook.

"Thank you."

"Madeline wants note, too, please." Madeline says as she and Louise look over Paris.

"I can't believe I zoned out for the entire class." Paris says as she grabs her things.

"You must have a lot on your mind." Rory tells her.

"I do."

"Okay, so on to the next thing. I don't think I'll have the prom bids ready for the student council meeting. They need more time to get the details together so that leaves a little hole in our agenda. Any thoughts?" Rory asks.

Paris shrugs. "Well, we could cancel the meeting this week."

Rory grimaces. "What?"

"If there's nothing to talk about, what's the point?"

Madeline and Louise couldn't believe what they were hearing. Paris wants to cancel a meeting? "You said one student council meeting a week was not enough." Louise reminds her.

"Yeah, you said that was no way to govern." Madeline adds. "That meeting once a week was lazy, ineffectual, and if we do it like that, we might as well buy a ranch in Texas."

"Fine. If you want to sit around for an hour after school swapping makeover horror stories, count me in." Paris says sarcastically. "Hey, did I ever tell you about that time I plucked outside of my designated brow line? Man, was my face red."

"I've done that, too. It's bad."

Louise smirks. "She was being sarcastic." She tells Madeline.

"I wasn't. I looked surprised for a month."

"We'll take this week off, and next week go back to twice a week. Okay?" Paris asks.

"Sounds fair." Rory tells her.

"Sounds fab." Louise says as she and Madeline walk out of the classroom.
Francie walks up to Rory and Paris, overhearing their conversation. "I heard something about the supplemental student council meeting. Anything I need to know? A new chart to be made, perhaps?" She asks.

"No. We were just saying the agenda seems light, so I've decided to cancel it." Paris tells her. "And we can just gather at the regular meeting on Friday."

"Wow." Francie smirks. "This is quite a change in plans."

"You have a problem?"

"I'm just surprised. You seem so attached to those meetings."

"Well, I finally got a blanky. It's much better."

"Okay, no extra meeting this week. What will I do with all that extra time? I guess I'll think of something."

"Take a picture of which outfit wins, will you?" Paris says before she walks away.

"Bye, Francie." Rory says as she follows Paris.


While they are walking down the hall, Paris smiles happily at Rory. "I met his parents."

"You did?" Rory asks.

"He bought me a ticket, I took the train to Philadelphia and I spent Christmas with him and his family."

"Sounds nice."

"No, not nice. It was perfect." Paris corrects her as they stop at Rory's locker. "They had a Christmas tree 12 feet tall. Everything was read and silver, and there was eggnog. Have you ever had eggnog?"

"Yes, I have."

"It's disgusting."

"Yes, it is."

"But disgusting in a really great way." Paris continues smiling. "And they had tiny wreaths hanging from every doorknob and mistletoe and candles everywhere. I couldn't believe it. I've never had Christmas before." Rory looks surprised. "Once, I asked my mother if we could get a Hanukkah bush. She made me watch Shoah the rest of the week. The place smelled like cinnamon all the time and there was fire in the fireplace and a ton of presents. I mean, hundreds of presents. I'm looking at this mound of gifts and thinking 'Eight days of Hanukkah.' Who was the skinflint that thought up that deal?"

Rory closes her locker. "Don't the eight days symbolize something?" She asks as they continue walking down the hall.

"They symbolize eight days of ripping off kids who can't have a Hanukkah bush.

"You're making me sad."

"His mom got me a present."

"That says something."

"What does it say?"

"It says Jamie likes you enough that she felt compelled to buy you a present." Rory explains.

"I had the most amazing time. Sitting around the tree, opening presents. They played Christmas music, and we drank apple cider. It was so nice. Then his grandfather and I would up in a theological discussion. 'Jesus: Messiah or nice Jewish kid with a hammer?' Got pretty heated."

"Okay, skip to the end. How did it turn out?" Rory asks.

"He told me he loved me." Paris smiles proudly.

"Paris." Rory says in awe.

"I never thought I'd hear a boy tell me he loved me."

"That's great." Rory says, looking very happy for her friend.

"He invited me back for Easter break."

"You're going, I assume?"

"Are you kidding? And miss a chance to debate Christ rising from the dead?" Paris scoffs. "I'm so there."

"Jamie's a lucky man." Rory tells her.


Lorelai walks to the front desk just as Lauren walks into the lobby. She's covered in snow and walks to the front desk with a scowl on her face. Lorelai is trying to hold back a smile as she looks at her daughter.

"Aw, honey, did you fall again?" Lorelai asks. Since the snow started coming down, Lauren was either falling in the snow or the snow was falling on top of her. She and winter did not get along.

Lauren takes her coat off and Lorelai grabs it, hanging it on top of the chair. "I slipped." She says as she walks behind the front desk where Lorelai starts brushing the snow out of her hair with her hands.

"Well, besides slipping in the snow, how was school?" Lauren shrugs. She never really talked about school since she and Sasha stopped hanging out. After the Thanksgiving break, Lauren went back to school and had to explain to Sasha why they couldn't hang out anymore. Sasha just shrugged it off like it was no big deal, but Lauren was actually hurt that Sasha didn't care about their friendship. She started to think that Gavin and her mom were right along. "Well, Sookie just made some fresh coffee. So, how about you go grab you a cup to warm up. It's only a matter of time before you are sick like every year."

"Okay." Lauren sighs as she walks into the kitchen just as the phone rings.

"Independence Inn. Lorelai speaking." Lorelai answers.

"Well, your father's 60th birthday dinner is back on." Emily tells her.

"What 60th birthday dinner?"

"The one I had planned for Wednesday night."

"Oh. Were we coming?" Lorelai asks, sounding confused.

"Of course you were coming. You think you wouldn't be invited?"

"Well, apparently, we weren't invited." Lorelai says, not ever remembering her mother speak about a party for her father.

"I just started planning the whole thing when he declared that parties were for children and it was cancelled."

"Were we disappointed?"

"However, today, he changed his mind so I expect the three of you at eight and bring a gift. But don't get him a cigar humidor."

"Okay."

"I bought him a cigar humidor." Emily says proudly.

"I assumed."

"It's gorgeous. It belonged to a lieutenant in the Army in World War 1." Emily says. Lauren walks back to the front desk, holding a mug of coffee while Lorelai listens to her mother. "Apparently, he kept it in his field office in France. There are carvings in the bottom that the dealer said could possibly be coded messages."

"Cool."

"I think so, too. Alright, eight. Do not be late."

"We will not be late. Bye." Lorelai hangs up.

"What will we not be late for?" Lauren asks.

"Your grandpa's 60th birthday dinner Wednesday." Lorelai tells her.

Lauren sneezes. "Uh, oh."


Lorelai is walking to the kitchen to grab medicine for Lauren who is laying in the living room. She wanted to catch this cold early before it even had a chance to really start so Lorelai was pumping her daughter full of medicine.

"Oh! AH!" Lorelai screams.

Lauren jumps from the couch. "What's wrong?"

Lorelai continues to panic and quickly covers what's on the floor with the mug she was holding. "Stay in there!" She says, freaking out. "Really big spider!"

Lauren jumps back onto the couch. "Kill it!"

Suddenly, there's a knock on the kitchen door. "Come in." Dean walks in holding a box. "Dean, hi."

"Hi." Dean says. "I hope I'm not disturbing anything."

"No, absolutely not." Lorelai smiles as she continues to panic.

"I just wanted to—" Dean starts to walk forward, but Lorelai stops him.

"Don't kick the cup. I have a spider, whose previous credits include the bathtub scene from Annie Hall, trapped under that cup."

"Dean, help us!" Lauren yells from the living room.

"The size of a Buick?" Dean asks, knowingly.

"Yeah." Lorelai smiles.

"I see. What are you planning to do now that you've got him trapped?" Dean asks.

"Well, I was thinking of just giving him the kitchen cause we don't use it very much anyhow, so—"

"I could get rid of it if you want." Dean offers.

"Yeah, that'd be great." Dean sets the box down that he was holding. "Careful. He heard me talking. Don't let him get away." Dean grabs a piece of paper from the table and slips it under the cup. "He knows I'm behind this, and he'll come after me." Dean picks the cup back up with the spider still under it. "You can see why camping it out of the question."

"Got it." Dean smirks.

Okay, great. Could you—" Lorelai points to the door.

"Oh, yeah, no problem."

"Don't let it's family see you. Spiders are vindictive." Lorelai says as Dean brings it outside.

"Mommy?" Lauren asks, helplessly from the living room.

"It's going outside. It's safe now." Lorelai promises.

The front door opens and Rory walks in. "Mom? Lauren?"

"Rory?" Lorelai calls out.

Rory walks into the kitchen. "Can we do pizza tonight? I've got a ton of studying to do."

"Sure, pizza sounds great."

"Good." Rory sees the kitchen door. "Why is the door open?"

"The door is open because—" Dean walks in. "—Dean's here."

Rory looks surprised to see him. They hadn't talked much since they broke up. "Hi."

"Hi." Dean says.

"Dean threw out a spider for me." Lorelai explains.

"I just came by to drop off some of your stuff." Dean says to Rory.

"Oh." Rory grabs the box from Dean.

"Mom!" Lauren calls out as she sneezes.

"I'm gonna go bring this medicine to Lauren. We're trying to fight the pre-cold away." Lorelai says as she grabs the medicine from the table and walks out.

"Just some books you loaned me, a couple ." Dean says.

"Okay, thanks." Rory says.

"Yeah, sure."

"Okay, so, I'm gonna go." Dean walks out.

Rory puts the box on the table and walks into the living room where Lorelai is sitting on the couch with Lauren laying by her side, sniffling. "It was a really big spider. I think it had a gun." Lorelai jokes. "What are you feeling right now?"

"Nothing." Rory tells her.

"Not weirded out even a little?" Lauren asks, curiously.

"Why would I be weirded out?"

"Well, Dean coming over, bringing your stuff back." Lorelai tells her.

"No, I'm fine."

"Okay. Although, if you were weirded out a little, it would be okay. It wouldn't mean you don't like Jess, or you made a mistake. It would just mean the guy in your life for two years isn't there anymore."

"I was just surprised, that's all."

"If you say so."

"I do."

"Okay."

"I'm gonna go start studying."

"I'll order the pizza."

"Thank you." Rory walks to her room.

Lauren looks up at Lorelai. "She's totally weirded out."

"Totally." Lorelai agrees.


Rory and Jess are walking together through the town square and are finding it difficult to keep their mouths off one another.

"It just occurred to me that we are very fortunate to have good teeth." Rory tells him.

"Yes, very fortunate." Jess says as he kisses Rory on her cheek before they start making out again.

"Can you imagine if braces were involved in this interaction?"

"It would be a bloodbath." Jess says as he pushes her against the gazebo continuing to kiss her.

"I can't catch my breath."

"You're not supposed to."

"Hey, listen, Thursday night is the Stars Hollow High Winter Carnival." Rory tells him.

"Oh, yeah?"

"Yeah. I thought we could go meet Lane there."

"Nope."

"But it'll be really fun. They'll have really bad games and really bad food and the marching band will play, and—"

"I'm doing some of my best work here, and you're talking right through it." Jess interrupts.

"Come on. Let's go to the carnival."

"I don't go to these stupid town things."

"You went to the Bid-A-Basket festival, the Dance Marathon." Rory reminds him as they start walking again.

"That was when I was trying to get you. I don't have to anymore."

"You're serious?"

"As a heart attack."

"Maybe it will be fun."

"We can have our own fun."

"I can't miss the winter carnival. Plus, Lauren is pumping all kinds of medicine in her system just so she won't miss this thing." Rory explains.

"Rory, come on." Jess says as he kisses her on her cheek.

"We never miss it. I can't. Just got with us, please?"

"Look, how about you and Lauren go to the festival, meet Lane, and I'll hook up with you afterwards?" Jess asks.

"Jess."

"That's my final offer, ma'am."

"Fine." Rory gives in as they kiss on more time before walking into the street nearly missing a car. "We're gonna walk right in front of a car one of these days." She says before they walk into Luke's diner.

"So, you want some help with your homework?" Jess asks.

Rory smirks. "You're going to help me?"

"Yes."

"Don't take this the wrong way, but how?"

"Come upstairs, and I'll show you."

"Upstairs?" Rory smiles.

"Yeah."

"You know how important my education is to me." Rory says as Jess leads her to the stairs.

Lorelai walks in before they can make it up there, though. "Rory. Thank God. I need help. Where you going?"

"Nowhere."

"See you." Jess walks away.

Rory walks over to her mom who is carrying some shopping bags. "Were you guys gonna go upstairs and kiss?" Lorelai asks.

"Oh, look at all the bags." Rory changes the subject as they sit down at an empty table.

"Yes. I went shopping for my dad's birthday present today which was great for 15 minutes until it came back to me."

"What?"

"The fact that I suck at buying Dad gifts."

"He'll like what you get him." Rory assures her.

"If I slip him a Quaalude, he'll like it."

"They're not that bad."

"My intentions are good, and I never put a price limit on it. I even went so far as following older men around the store to see what they were buying. It didn't help me with ideas, but I got asked to the antique car show."

"Just show me what you got."

"Okay, fine." Lorelai sighs as she grabs a bag. "Option number one: a state-of-the-art, high tech titanium bathroom scale." She pulls out the scale and Rory looks unimpressed.

"Huh."

"What? He has weight."

"Yes, but I'm not sure his birthday is the time to remind him of it."

Lorelai puts that bag away and grabs another. "Okay, option number two: a fabulous mechanical coin sorter. You put the coins in, it sorts them." Rory doesn't look impressed by this one either. "What?"

"Well, it's a little generic."

"Generic in a good way?" Lorelai asks.

"What's the third option?"

"See, I should have pulled the coin sorter out last."

"Mom."

"Okay." Lorelai gets the smaller bag and pulls out a tie.

"A tie." Rory says.

"Yes, it's silk."

"It's nice."

"It is?"

Luke walks up with their coffee. "What's that?"

"It's a tie for my father's birthday." Lorelai tells him.

"What, no Aramis this year?"

"He likes ties."

"If you get the big bottle, it usually comes with a tote bag and a Soap-On-A-Rope."

Lorelai frowns. "Go away." Luke walks away. "My gifts suck."

"It's the thought that counts." Rory tells her.

"What did you get him?"

"Nothing big." Rory shrugs.

"What?"

"Just a thing."

"What kind of thing?"

"Chuck Berry Live at the Fillmore on vinyl."

"Oh, my gosh. That's perfect. He loves Chuck Berry. How did you come up with that?"

"I asked him what he wanted."

Lorelai glares at her daughter. "That's cheating."

"Tough." Rory laughs.

"Now what am I gonna do? I can't give him a tie when you give him the world's most perfect present."

"You want me to go find something?"

"You would do that?"

"He gave me other suggestions. I'll see if I can find one of them."

Lorelai grabs her credit card out of her purse. "My gosh, I love you. You are my angel."

"Hey, you had one more you didn't show me."

"Yeah. It lights up and sings."

"Enough said."

Lauren walks in, covered in snow, and sneezing. "I hate winter!" She complains as she sits in the empty seat next to Lorelai.

"Oh, and my other angel." Lorelai smiles lovingly. "Hey, what did you get your grandpa for his birthday?"

Lauren looks helplessly at them both. "We're supposed to get him a gift?" She groans as she puts her head on the table.

Lorelai rubs her daughter's back gently as she smiles at Rory. "I'll get something from her, too." Rory says. "Bye."

"Bye." Lorelai smiles, gratefully.


Rory makes her way to the bookstore and while she is looking through the window she accidentally runs into Dean when she turns around.

"OH!" She yells.

"Oh, sorry!" Dean says, quickly.

"I didn't see you."

"I wasn't paying attention."

"I was looking in the window."

"I was noticing the new benches in the square."

"Sorry."

"Yeah, sorry."

They stand awkwardly in front of each other, not knowing what to say. "It's weird." Rory admits.

"What's weird?" Dean asks.

"How we keep randomly bumping into each other like this."

"Well, it wasn't exactly random bumping into you at your house." Dean tells her.

"Right. I live there. Not so random."

"Though this, right now—"

"Random." Rory nods.

"Very random." He agrees.

Rory sighs. "That's probably the most the word 'random' has been used in a two-minute period in a really long time."

Dean looks around, thinking. "Hey, you wanna get a cup of coffee?"

"Coffee?"

"Maybe talk a little? Of course, if you prefer, we can both just head over to Weston's and randomly bump into each other there." He smirks.

"No, that's okay. I can get coffee."

"Good."

Rory and Dean had went to Weston's and had an awkward discussion about being friends. It was weird for both of them to not talk to each other every day, or at least say hi to one another. And they didn't think it was fair just to ignore that. So, they decided to be friends despite the whole Jess thing.


It's Richard's 60th birthday, and Richard was finishing up the last of his gifts. He had just opened Rory's vinyl and they were all listening to it now.

"This man was a genius. Listen to him play." Richard says, happily.

"I'm glad you like it, Grandpa." Rory smiles.

"I must say, I am a very spoiled man." He says as Rory stands up from sitting on the floor and sits back down on the other side of Lauren on the couch. Lauren was full of medicine she was having difficulty staying up, so has her head rested on Lorelai. "Chuck Berry, the complete history of the Peloponnese War, and the novel War and Peace by Tolstoy." He says smiling at the gifts his grand-daughters and daughter gave him.

"Well, sure, because a partial history would skip all the dirty stuff." Lorelai says.

Richard laughs. "I like the way you wrapped the books in a bow tie. That's very, very clever."

"I thought it would appropriate." Lorelai smirks at Rory.

"And of course you're not forgetting your favorite gift." Emily smiles.

"Oh, yes. My beautiful humidor from my beautiful wife." He says proudly.

"Thank you."

"No. Thank you. It's been a wonderful birthday." He says as he and Emily kiss.

"Would you like some more champagne?" Emily asks just as the doorbell rings.

"Why not?"

"One of the porch lights is burned out!" They hear someone say at the front door. The girls and Emily look surprised when she realize who it is. "Perhaps the simple act of glancing outside a window once in a while might have alerted someone to the situation."

"Gran?" Lorelai asks, looking confused.

"Trix, is that you?" Richard calls out before he walks to the foyer.

"Mom, did you know Grandma was coming?" Lorelai asks a stunned Emily.

"Oh, my gosh." Emily says.

"Okay, no seems like a safe answer."

"Emily, come here!" Richard calls out to his wife. "Come say hello to this delightful creature that just walked in."

"Oh, my gosh!" Emily walks away.

Lorelai nudges Lauren, lightly. "Come on. Let's see if she tries to make a break for it."

The girls laugh and follows Emily into the foyer where Richard is helping his mother with her coat. "Emily, did you know about this?" Richard asks as soon as Emily walks in.

"Why, no, I didn't." Emily says.

"Well, I'm floored."

"Good." Gran says, proudly. Lorelai and her girls walk in. "Hello, Lorelai."

Lorelai smiles. "Hello, Gran. Good to see you."

"You're well?"

"I'm well."

"You're working?"

"I'm working."

"You're single?"

"I'm single."

"By choice, or do you scare the men with your independence?" Gran teases.

"Actually, I scare them with my Minnie Pearl impression." Lorelai jokes.

"The lady with the hat." Gran looks at her great grand-daughters. "Rory, as soon as I get settled I want to hear all about your schooling and college plans."

"Okay, Gran." Rory says.

"And Lauren, I want to continue our discussion about Chilton."

Lauren nods. "Looking forward to it." She says sarcastically.

Gran walks over to Emily. "Emily, I don't know if you realize it or not but it is not proper to receive guests in the foyer. It puts one in the awkward position of having to invite oneself in."

"Oh yes, please. I'm sorry. Please, come in." Emily says, stumbling on her words.

"This way." Richard leads his mother to the living room as Rory and Lauren follow.

"What is she doing here?" Emily whispers to her daughter.

"She's visiting." Lorelai tells her.

"She didn't call. She always calls." Emily panics.

"Well, it's Dad's birthday. She wanted it to be a surprise."

"But I haven't prepared. I haven't shopped or set up the guest room. And—oh, no. Her horrible gifts are still in the basement. What do I do?"

"Leave them there. It's too late to do anything about that now. Come on." Lorelai says as she leads her mother into the living room.
"Oh, Emily, you're still here." Gran says when they walk in.

"Of course I'm still here. Can I get you some champagne?" Emily asks.

"Well, if you wish me to be violently ill tomorrow, absolutely."

"Do not answer that." Lorelai says into Emily's ear before she sits down next

Richard brings her a drink. "I've got you covered, Trix. Now, tell me what on earth you're doing here. You didn't travel from England just for my birthday."

"I think your birthday is a good enough reason to travel all the way from England." Gran informs him. "However, it also happens to coincide with some business I needed to tend to."

"What kind of business?" Rory asks curiously.

"Well, for the past year, I've been renting my home in Hartford to a group of musicians. They recently moved out so I had to check on the house and secure a new tenant."

"What kind of musicians?" Lauren asks.

"A rock 'n' roll group of some sort. I believe they call themselves Korn."

The girls are startled. "You rented your house to Korn?" Lorelai asks.

"That's so cool!" Lauren exclaims.

"They were fine tenants." Gran tells them. "Took wonderful care of the place. They planted some lovely tulips in the front yard."

"So, Mom, if you're going to be here for a while I can plan some things for you, some outings you might enjoy." Emily suggests.

"Like what?"

"Like the arboretum."

Gran grimaces. "I have no desire to spend an entire with plants. Emily, I'm not a bee. Besides, I already know what I would like to do. I would like to see where Lorelai works."

"The inn?" Lorelai questions.

"I thought we could all have dinner there."

"Well, sure. That would be great."

"Wonderful. Tomorrow night, then."

"Well—" Lorelai looks at her girls.

"What?"

"It's just that we were planning to go to this winter carnival at the high school."

"But we can skip it." Rory says.

"Absolutely not." Gran says, shaking her head. "You girls work very hard in school. It's equally important to have fun. You both go to the carnival."

"Thank you." Rory and Lauren says, smiling gratefully.

"Lorelai, you've had enough fun."

"And then some." Lorelai jokes.

"Dinner will be for the grown-ups. Now, how is the birthday going?" She asks her son.

"Wonderfully." Richard tells her. "They're spoiling me rotten. Emily got me the most beautiful humidor. It's from 1917 and was owned by a lieutenant in World War 1."

"You know, your father had a humidor that was owned by Victor Hugo."

"Really?" Richard asks, looking intrigued.

"I still have it if you would like it."

"Oh, I'd love it."

"Fine. I'll take care of it as soon as I get back to London." Emily rolls her eyes as she takes a sip of her drink. "Now, if you will excuse me, I should like to freshen up."

"I'll make sure the guest room is ready." Emily says.

"I can do that, Emily." Richard tells her as he stands up with his mother.

"Thank you, Richard. Emily, I expect to return in 20 minutes. That should give you enough time to pull my gifts out of storage and place them around the room as if they actually stand there all year." Gran says as she follows her son.

"You want some help with those gifts?" Lorelai asks.

Emily sighs. "Yes, please."


Lorelai is in the kitchen of the inn as Sookie walks around showing her everything she prepared and everything she is going to prepare for the dinner with Lorelai's parents and her grandmother.

"Twelve courses, each paired with a specific wine." Sookie tells her. "And for dessert, individual chocolate amaretto mouse cakes in the shape of a 'G.'"

"Sookie, look what you've done." Lorelai exclaims.

"Over the top?"

"On a monumental scale."

"Exactly what I was going for." Sookie laughs. "I'm also going to have individual menus printed up and placed at each setting."

"I love you for doing this."

Michel comes in. "Your mother is on the phone."

"Can you take a message?"

"You mean, do I have the capability to take a message?" Michel asks. "Why, yes, I do. However—"

Lorelai sighs. "I got it." She says taking the phone from him before he walks away. "Hey, Mom."

"She wants to see you house." Emily says.

"What?"

"Tonight, before the dinner."

"Oh, okay."

"Okay?" Emily exclaims. "Did you hear what I said? That horrifying woman wants to see your house. Your house. The one with the monkey lamp."

"Mom, relax." Lorelai laughs lightly.

"Is it clean?"

"Yeah, it's clean."

"If I came in with white gloves, what would I find?"

"That you could pull a rabbit out of your hat?"

"I don't know what to do. I'll figure it out when I get there."

Lorelai looks confused. "When you get where?"

"I'll call you later, Lorelai." Emily says, ignoring her.

Panic starts to rise inside Lorelai. "When you get where?"

"I'm turning onto your street."

"Mom, no!"

"I'll let myself in. I know you keep a key in a turtle."

"Mom, I beg of you make a very dangerous U-turn and go back where you came from." Lorelai begs.

"I'm here. I'll talk to you later." Emily hangs up.

"Mom! Mom!" Lorelai yells.


Lorelai pulls up at her house, not too long after talking to her mom. She knew she had to get there quick before Emily rearranged the whole house, or worse, bought her a whole new one. Plus, Lauren was staying home from school today due to her pre-cold, and her daughter was not her daughter when it came to being ambush while in the middle of her beginning of winter pre-cold.

Lorelai runs into the house to be met by her angry looking daughter. "I am officially annoyed."

Lorelai looks into the living room to find her mother trying to move the couch. "Hold it right there." Lorelai says sternly. "Step back and move away from the couch."

Emily looks at her daughter, desperately. "This couch cannot stay. It's awful."

"It can hear you." Lorelai frowns.

"Please?"

"No."

Lauren walks over with her blanket wrapped around her body and she falls down on the couch that she has called her home since she started sneezing. "What about the chair?" Emily asks as she walks over to it. "Let me move it."

"No. The chair stays also." Lorelai says, following her mother.

"We have to do something. I bought flowers and can't find a decent vase. All I could find was a ceramic Betty Boop head."

"Mom, you're making yourself crazy."

"I know. We'll get some tarps, throw them over everything, and tell her you're painting."

Lorelai rolls her eyes at her daughter who was actually finding a panicked Emily quite amusing. "Mom, stop it. What is so horrible about this room?" Lorelai asks.

"Well, look at it."

"I am. I like it."

"Well, you may like it, but your grandmother will not. And it doesn't help that Lauren has made this into a room full of tissues."

Lauren frowns. "I have the sniffles."

"She's going to take one look at the junk-store collection of hobo furniture, and she's going to blame me." Emily continues.

Lorelai gasps. "For what?"

"For letting you live like this, for not teaching you, for not redecorating while you're out of town."

"We're never out of town."

"For not sending you out of town so I could redecorate."

"Mom, you don't believe that."

"Everything that's wrong in your life is my fault. Everything that's wrong in your father's life is my fault. She'll probably even blame me because Lauren is sick. Basically, everything that's wrong is my fault."

"Grandma, just tell her the house is infested with my germ, and maybe she won't come." Lauren shrugs.

Lorelai shakes her head at her daughter. "Not helping." She says, as she leads Emily to the couch. "Mom, would you sit down for a minute?"

Emily sits down next to Lauren's feet and she grimaces. "And it's lumpy. Perfect."

Lauren sits up and grabs her tissue box. "No. You just sat on my tissues." She frowns as she tucks the box under the blanket with her.

Lorelai sits down next to her. "Mom, if I may, I'd like to give you some advice."

"You would?" Emily questions, looking a bit surprised.

Lorelai smiles. "You need to develop a defense mechanism for dealing with Grandma."

"What are you talking about?"

"You need a new mindset. Take me, for example."

"What about you?"

"Well, I know there are many things in my life you don't approve of."

"Like what?" Emily asks.

"Like this couch." Lorelai smirks.

"Well, this couch is terrible."

"Okay. Good. You think the couch is terrible. Now, at one point in my life, you saying a couch that I carefully picked out and had to pay off over eight months is terrible might have hurt my feelings, but not anymore."

"No? Why not?"

"Because one day, I decided instead of being hurt and upset by your disapproval, I'm gonna be amused, find it funny." Lorelai explains. "I'm even going to take a little bit of pleasure in it."

"You take pleasure in my disapproval?" Emily asks.

"I encourage it sometimes just for a laugh." Lorelai smiles.

"I don't know what to think of that."

"Think, 'That's brilliant.' Because this idea could set you free." Emily thinks for a moment and then sighs heavily. "What are you thinking about?" Lorelai asks.

"That ridiculous Betty Boop head."

Lorelai nods and smiles proudly. "So am I."

Emily wasn't sure how to respond. She looks down at Lauren who had fallen asleep during their conversation. "Get some medicine into your daughter before your grandmother arrives." She says before she walks out of the house, still thinking about what Lorelai has told her.

Lorelai frowns and scoots closer to her daughter. Every stinking year, since Lorelai could remember, this first winter cold has always made its presence inside her daughter. She reaches over and strokes Lauren's face, also checking for a fever. Nothing yet. Good. Which means the medicine she has been giving her is taking its affect and she isn't in full on cold yet.

Lauren slowly opens her eyes. "Mom."

"Hm?" Lorelai says, soothingly.

"Tell him to stop calling me, please." She says tearfully.

Lorelai sighs. Crap. Maybe the full on cold was already there because her daughter is already more emotional than she is one a regular day. "What?" She asks, looking a little confused. Lauren points behind them at the answering machine. Lorelai walks over and presses the play button only to hear Christopher's voice coming through it. She quickly stops it and walks back over to Lauren, bending down, and giving her a gentle kiss on her forehead. "I'm going to make you some soup."

Christopher has been calling for the past couple weeks now. He'd speak to Rory on his designated day that he calls for them, but Lauren still refused to speak with him since she left his apartment on Thanksgiving. That was over two months ago. And Christopher calls every once in a while begging Lauren to answer and asking for forgiveness. But how can you forgive your own father for not wanting you around?


Rory closes her locker, and continues down the hall, when suddenly Francie comes out of one of the classrooms calling for her.

"Rory. Super. Could you step in here for a sec?" Francie asks.

Rory walks over to her. "Oh. Okay."

"Thanks." Francie smiles. "It's just so lucky I caught you."

Rory walks into the class, followed by Francie, and finds the student council students and one of the teachers who oversees the meetings sitting around. "What is this?" Rory asks.

Francie closes the door behind her. "The supplementary student council meeting, silly."

"But Paris cancelled that."

"She did, didn't she?" Francie says, knowingly.

Rory walks over to Louise and Madeline who look just equally confused as she does. "What's going on?" She asks them.

"You tell us." Louise says.

"I don't know."

Madeline shrugs. "Francie said there was an issue that had to be discussed."

"We figured you okayed it." Louise tells her.

Rory glares towards Francie. "I did not okay it." She says as she walks to her chair. "Mr. Hunter, there's been a mistake. Paris cancelled this meeting, and—"

"I know, Rory." He interrupts. "But Francie approached me and said there was an issue she had planned to discuss that has a bit of a ticking clock on it."

"You did not mention that you had anything." Rory says to Francie, looking very annoyed.

"I was so surprised Paris was canceling the meeting that it flew right out of my head." Francie says. "It was New York to London in three hours or less." She exaggerates.

"Rory, take a seat. We can get started." Mr. Hunter says.

"I move we postpone this meeting until Paris can be reached." Rory tells them.

"We're all here now. Let's hear what Francie has to say. You fill Paris in later. By the way, did anyone try to find her?"

"I saw her walking off with, who was that, her brother?" Francie asks, playing confused.

"Paris doesn't have a brother." Louise glares.

"Really? Well. She certainly seemed to know him."

"Just tell us all why we're here." Rory says.

"And how long we're staying." Louise adds.

"The Wadsworth Mansion has had a cancellation which means we can get it for prom if we move quickly. Shall we vote?" France asks, getting straight to the point.

"Hold on." Rory stops her. "The Wadsworth Mansion is too expensive. It's been discussed."

"There are plenty of funds to cover it."

"Not if we want a telescope to be the senior gift."

"You mean, not if Paris wants a telescope to be the senior gift." Francie corrects her, smugly.

"We all thought it was a good idea."

"'Reach for the stars?'" Francie questions. "Nice theme. Original." She says sarcastically. "Was 'Be all that you can be' taken?"

"It's a good gift." Rory argues.

"It's a fine gift. So is planting a nice tree in the quad."

"Every class plants a tree."

"Well then, who are we to judge those who came before? I say let's put it to a vote."

"This isn't right. Paris should be here."

"I agree. Paris should be here. However, she's not. So once again, shall we vote?"

"Rory, as student body vice-president, I need you to call for a vote." Mr. Hunter steps in.

Rory sighs. "All those in favor of using the funds for the Wadsworth Mansion even though we will be cheating the next generation of Chilton students who'd love a nice telescope say 'aye.'" Everyone says 'aye.' "Wadsworth Mansion it is." Rory says, unenthusiastically.

"Meeting dismissed." Francie says proudly before everyone stands up to leave. "Chin up." She says to Rory. "We'll make it a really big tree."


Francie closes her locker and heads down the hall when she is suddenly pulled into the bathroom unexpectedly.

"Francie." Rory exclaims. "So good of you to stop by. I know how busy you are. Gum?"

Francie looks unamused as just a few weeks ago she was doing the same to Rory. "What's your damage, Gilmore?"

"Damage?" Rory questions. "No damage. I just thought we should chat."

"Well, I don't have any—"

"I changed my mind." Rory interrupts. "I don't think we should chat. I should chat. Ready? Okay." She says mocking Francie. "That little stunt you pulled. Not good."

"Stunt?" Francie asks.

"Paris cancelled that meeting."

"Something came up."

"Then you should have brought it to Paris."

"She wasn't around. She was off with a mystery man."

"Jealous?"

Francie laughs. "Of Paris' lobotomy victim? I think not."

"What is wrong with you? So what if she has a boyfriend? You don't think as hard as she works in school on The Franklin or student council, you don't think she deserves to have one?" Rory asks.

"Hey! No one is denying Gidget a chance to snap Moondoggie for the Clambake but the rest of us have things to accomplish." Francie argues.

"You had one goal since the start of the year." Rory tells her.

"To achieve the perfect liquid line." Francie says confidently.

"To take Paris down."

"And to achieve the perfect liquid line."

"I tried to smooth the path between both side, but you know what? That's over."

Francie smirks. "Oh, it is?"

"Yes, it is. I'm finished being your go-between." Rory says as she starts to walk around Francie. "You're a jerk, and if you want to play it this way, fine. All bets are off. I'm not longer your ally. You want to play rough, fine. I read The Art of War. I can be just as big a pain in your butt as you are in Paris'."

"You do not want to be my enemy, Marlo Thomas."

"I think I do, Tina Louise."

"Fine." Francie shrugs.

"It is fine."

"Can I go now?"

"The door's right there." Rory points.

"You're gonna be very sorry." She says as she walks to the bathroom door.

"Am I?"

"Oh, yes. You are."

Rory nods. "I'm good with that."


Lorelai and her girls are trying to clean up, well more like hide everything before Gran and Richard and Emily arrive. Lorelai is upstairs and Rory and Lauren are working on the downstairs.

"I'm running out of space!" Rory yells.

They were trying to put the bouquet of flowers Emily dropped off to them to make the house look more homey. "How many bouquets you got left?" Lorelai asks.

"Three."

"Can you put them on your dresser?"

"It's full."

"Can you squish them in?" Lorelai asks.

"Already squished."

"Can you toss them out the window, like I did?"

"Done."

"Great."

Lorelai runs downstairs. "Monkey lamp's in the closet, singing rabbi's in a drawer, and all Spice Girl memorabilia is under your bed." She tells Lauren who is sitting on the floor, resting her head on the couch. "How do I look?" She asks as Rory walks in.

Lauren gives her a thumbs up. "Like a woman who does not own Spice Girl memorabilia." Rory tells her.

"You look pretty, too." Lorelai smiles.

"Thanks."

"I want a play-by-play of the carnival."

"I promise. But what are we going to do about this one?" Rory says, looking down at her sister who is almost asleep.

Lorelai snaps her fingers, making Lauren open her eyes. "Hey. Is all the tissue cleared from the floor?" She asks.

Lauren looks around. "I think so. Everything started to be a blur after a while." She says sounding very stuffed up. She started to get worse earlier that day. And Lorelai already knew that she wasn't going to be getting out of this regardless of how sick Lauren was unless she was in the hospital, so she promised to get this night over with fast to be back home and take care of her.

Lorelai looks around. "Look fine to me." She helps Lauren back onto the couch and covers her up.

"This is my favorite carnival." Lauren complains.

Lorelai and Rory frown. They knew this. But unfortunately Lauren's winter cold came a tad bit late this year. "I know, babe. I promise we'll make it up to you."

"Don't have too much fun without me, Rory." Lauren pouts.

Rory shrugs. "I promise nothing." She says earning a glare from her sister.

Moments later a loud knock comes from the front door. "They're here." Lorelai sings.

"Hey, if she doesn't like the house, what happens then?" Rory asks.

Lorelai walks to the door with Rory following closely. "I think we have to move. Smile pretty. Lauren, you just lay there."

"Gladly." Lauren sighs.

Lorelai opens the door. "Hi, Mom. Hi, Dad. Hi, Gran. Was your trip good?"

"The trip was fine." Gran smiles. "Hello, Rory."

"Hi, Gran." Rory says. "Hi, Grandma. Hi, Grandpa."

"Well, now that we've exhausted the greetings, kindly move aside." Gran walks in. "I'd like to see your house."

"Come on in." Lorelai smiles.

Richard follows his mother into the living room. "If I pass out." Emily says quietly as she walks in.

"I'll yell 'timber.'" They go into the living room.

"What's this?" Gran says pointing to a half asleep Lauren on the couch.

"Hi, Gran. I'm sick." Lauren tells her.

"Yeah, Gran. Sorry. Lauren's winter cold arrived." Lorelai explains.

"Have you given her medicine?" Emily asks.

"Of course, Mom." Lorelai rolls her eyes. "And actually, her next dose is very soon, so—"

"Our dinner won't be long." Gran interrupts as she looks around the living room. Lorelai gives her daughter sad smile. They were hoping seeing Lauren sick would change Gran's mind about dinner, but no such luck.

They follow Gran around the living room as she inspects all around the area. "So, Gran, what do you think?" Lorelai asks. "It's not much, probably too modest for Korn but Weezer would be pretty comfortable."

They continue following Gran into the kitchen. They all go around the kitchen table, and watch as she goes into Rory's room. She walks back out and gives Lorelai a disapproving look before she walks back to the living room where Lauren is watching them. "Let's go." She says as Richard and Emily follow her to the door.

"Are we moving?" Rory asks Lorelai.

Lorelai looks confused at what just happened. "I don't know."

"Lorelai, I swear if you prolong this evening—" Emily scolds.

"Coming." Lorelai kisses Lauren on her forehead. "Very quick."

"Please." Lauren whines as she watches Lorelai follow Emily out.


Jess is walking Rory to the carnival where she planned to meet up with Lane. She was bummed that Lauren was missing out, but she was grateful that her sister ended up falling asleep before she left, hoping she'd sleep the rest of the night.

"It's pretty out tonight, isn't it?" Rory asks Jess.

"Sure is." He agrees.

"Like a snow globe. Sparkly. I mean, I don't think a night comes any prettier than this. And if you take a pretty night and add a corn dog—"

"I'm not going to the carnival." Jess says knowing Rory was just trying to convince him to go.

"Why not?"

"I will be in front of Miss. Patty's at nine."

"You are stubborn and impossible."

"I'll see you at nine."

"Rory!" They turn around to find Clara, Dean's little sister, running up to them.

"Clara. Hi." Rory smiles as she hugs the girl.

"I haven't seen you in forever."

Dean walks up. "Longer than forever." Rory exaggerates.

"She got away from me." Dean apologizes.

"Buy a stronger leash." Dean tells him.

"Did you see they got the crazy psychic from Woodbury again?" Dean asks Rory, ignoring Jess's comment.

"You're kidding!" Rory exclaims. "I thought she got arrested."

"She's out now and sitting over there."

"I love her. She always tells me I'll be rich and famous."

"She tells everybody they're gonna be rich and famous."

"Who are you?" Clara asks Jess.

"No one." Jess scowls.

"Yes, you are."

"No, I'm not."

"That's Jess." Rory introduces. "Jess, this is Clara."

"Are you guys going to the carnival?" Clara asks them, excitingly.

"I'm going. Jess isn't."

"Why not?"

"He has things to do."

"Then you can go with me and Dean, right?" Clara smirks up at Dean.

"Well—"

"I'm going." Jess interrupts.

"What?" Rory asks looking surprised.

"To the carnival."

"I thought you had things to do." Clara says.

"I don't."

"Rory just said you have things to do."

"Hey, Tattoo, just look for the plane, will you?"

"What?" Clara squints in confusion.

"Jess, you don't have to go. We can meet later." Rory assures him.

"Come on, how many chances does a guy have to go to a Stars Hollow High Winter Carnival, right?" He asks.

"Right." Clara smiles.

"Okay, then. Let's go."

Clara grabs Dean's hand and leads the way. "To the carnival!"

Rory smiles at her boyfriend as they follow Dean and Clara into the carnival.


Lorelai just finished showing Gran her inn and was now entering the dining room where they were going to eat dinner.

"And this is out dining room." Lorelai tells her.

"Small." Gran says.

"Or quaint."

"Touche'" Gran laughs.

"You're in for a real treat, Trix." Richard says as they walk to their table. "Sookie is one of the best chefs around."

"Here's our table, Gran. Why don't you sit here?" Lorelai says, helping Gran with her chair before they all sit.

"Well, Lorelai, I must say, on first viewing this little inn of yours looks quite impressive." Gran compliments.

"Thank you." Lorelai says, kindly.

"It's certainly no arboretum, but it's nice just the same."

"It was just a suggestion, Mom." Emily tells her, speaking about the plant exhibit she suggested the night before.

"Yes, it was." Gran grins. "Oh, look. A menu."

"That's a nice little touch." Richard says.

"Sookie wanted everything perfect for tonight." Lorelai tells them.

Michel walks up with a smile. "There you are."

"Michel. Great." Lorelai smiles. "Gran, I'd like you to meet Michel Gerard, our concierge. Michel, this is my grandmother, Lorelai."

"Very pleased to meet you." Michel says, smiling down at Gran.

"Do you have a pen?" Gran asks him.

"Uh. Why, of course." Michel says, handing her the pen from his pocket.

Gran begins writing on the menu. "Please take this to your chef. These are the times I would like each course to appear at this table. I like a brisk pace." Emily rolls her eyes at Lorelai who simply smiles. "Twelve minutes per course is best for my digestion. However, please tell your servers they are not to clear until everyone has finished. Thank you." She says as she hands Michel the menu.

"No, thank you." He says sarcastically. "It is so rare that I get to carry a note anymore." He says glaring at Lorelai as he walks away.


Dean and Rory are following Jess and Clara through the carnival. Clara hadn't stopped asking questions since meeting Jess.

"Is Jess your real name?" She asks him.

"Yes."

"Do you like it?"

"It's fine."

"Would you rather be named Bill?"

"No."

"Frank?"

"No."

"Mike?"

"No."

"Ed?"

Jess looks at Dean. "Does this belong to you?"

"Clara, you want a snow cone?" Dean asks his sister.

"Yes! Will you go get me a snow cone?" She asks Jess.

"Absolutely. Stand in the middle of the street and wait. I'll be right back." Jess says as he walks away.

"I'll get your snow cone." Dean tells her.

"And one for Rory, too." Clara says.

"And one for Rory, too."

"Thanks." Rory smiles.

Dean walks away as they approach Jess again. "Do you wash your hair?" Clara asks Jess.

"Yes, I wash my hair." Jess says, rolling his eyes.

"Then why does it stick up like that?"

"Because."

"It looks crazy."

"Rory!" Lane calls out.

Rory walks over to Lane. "Hey. How's the fund-raiser going? The turnout looks good."

"The turnout's great." Lane tells her. "Apparently, people are starved for entertainment around here."

"Well, hurrah for bad cable reception."

"So, I'm sorry." Lane says, looking confused. "Did I just see you with Jess and Dean, or do I need a new prescription?"

"Your prescription's fine."

"So, explain."

"Tomorrow at Luke's. I need to get back before there's a more exciting ending to the evening."

"Forget nothing."

"I promise." Rory says before she walks back to Jess who playing one of the games which is throwing a ball at the bottles.

"You missed." Clara informs him. Jess keeps throwing, missing each time, and Clara doesn't miss a chance to tell him that.

"You want to learn how to fly?" Jess asks her as Rory walks up just in time.

"How's everybody doing?" Rory asks, nervously.

"Jess can't throw." Clara smirks.

"I can, too." Jess argues.

"You missed every time."

"I can't concentrate with your voice yammering on and on. It's like having Stuart Little shoved in my ear."

Dean walks up to them holding two snow cones. "Here. They only had cherry."

"That's all we need." Rory smiles as she takes one of the snow cones.

"So, you play any other games yet?" Dean asks Clara.

"No." Clara says looking at Jess. "I've been watching him lose. You don't get a bear, but it's pretty fun."

"Well, how about I beat you at ice bowling?"

"You can't beat me."

"I think I can."

"Let's go!" Clara runs away.

"We'll be back." Dean laughs as he follows his sister.

"So, how much to play?" Rory asks Jess.

"1." He tells her. "I got it." Jess pays.

"Just for the record, I'm a girl, and we are supposed to throw this way." She says as she throws the ball, missing the bottles.

"So, you got anything you want to tell me?" Jess asks curiously.

"I like your crazy hair."

"You weren't going to the carnival with Dean?"

"No. Running into them was a total coincidence." Rory promises.

"Okay." Jess nods. "So, when did you and Dean get so buddy-buddy again?"

"We're not so buddy-buddy."

"You weren't even speaking." He reminds her. "Now he's fetching you snow cones?"

"He was getting one for Clara."

"You guys talking?"

"No, we're not talking. We talked. Once." Rory admits.

"You've caught my interest." Jess says, waiting for an explanation.

"We ran into each other and he wanted to get coffee, so I did, and we talked." Rory explains.

"About?"

"Just boring things. Clara's horseback riding, his college application, nothing earth-shattering. And he asked if we could be friends, and I said, 'sure.'"

"Friends?"

"He knows we're together, okay? And it's a small town. Dean and I will see each other. And I just thought it wouldn't hurt to be polite."

"So, you're being polite?" Jess asks.

"Yes. Dean has never done anything bad to me, and I just—"

"I got it." Jess tells her.

"You're mad." Rory says seeing the look on his face.

"Nope. Just figured you could have told me."

"I'm sorry."

"No biggie. You gonna throw that?" He asks, looking at the ball in her hand.

"You're really not mad?"

"Nope. Not mad."

"And you understand?"

"I understand."

"And you believe me?"

"Like you were standing with an ax next to a cherry tree." He says sarcastically.

"And you're okay—"

"Will you just throw the ball?" He interrupts.

Rory throws the ball and hits the bottles down. "I did it!"

"Very impressive." Jess smiles.

"Congratulations." The guy says handing her a small bear.

"Thanks. Hello, sad, pathetic bear." She says to the stuffed animal as they walk away.

"You know, I could have bought you that thing for a quarter." Jess tells her.

"It's better that I won it. I'll give it to Lauren."

"And remind her that she wasn't here?" Jess questions, looking unsure.

Rory shrugs. "At least she'll have something from it."


The Gilmore's are finishing up their dinner at the inn. Lorelai was trying to make this whole thing go faster so that she could go home to Lauren, but Gran's schedule was not making it easy.

"And, so far, knock on wood, things seem to be picking up." Richard says to his mother, talking about his business.

"It's about time you went into business." Gran tells her son. "Oh, Emily, you should have encouraged him to do this years ago."

"Yes, I should have." Emily agrees.

"He's a go-getter, you father." Gran says to Lorelai. "Not dissimilar to yourself."

"Thank you, Gran." Lorelai says.

Sookie walks up. "Hello. Just wanted to see how your dinner was coming along."

"It's amazing." Lorelai tells her. "Gran, this is our chef, Sookie."

"The food is excellent." Gran says to Sookie.

Sookie smiles, gratefully. "Thank you very much."

Sookie turns slightly cause Gran to get a glimpse of her back. "Young lady!" She exclaims. "Your uniform has a large cut down the middle of your back."

"It does?" Sookie feels her back and turns around showing them the large cut in her shirt. "Oh, yeah, I did get myself."

"How on earth did you do that?" Emily asks, looking concerned.

"Oh, I—And the chop flew—" Sookie demonstrate spastically. "—so I lunged. And the floor slipped, and then—And I just—Flip, you know? I guess you just kind of had to be there." She says looking around at their confused faces.

"Yes, apparently so." Gran says.

"Okay, so, nice to meet you. I have to get back. We have a tight schedule to follow."

"Yes, we do." Gran says as Sookie walks away.

"So, Trix, let's talk about the Hartford house." Richard says. "Do you have a new tenant lined up yet?"

"I do."

"Who?"

"Me."

Emily looks up from her food, wide-eyed. "What?"

"I wasn't going to bring this up tonight but since you asked my health hasn't been very good lately." Gran tells them.

Richard looks worried. "What's the matter?"

"What's the matter is I'm not 20. Anyhow, the weather in London is quite damp and I have a yearning to be a little closer to my immediate family so now that Korn has moved out of my house I thought perhaps I would move back in." She explains.

Lorelai glances at her mother. "When, Gran?"

"As soon as I close up the London house and get my affairs in order."

"Well, I think that's a wonderful idea." Richard tells her. "I'm thrilled." He was happy to be close to his mother again. "In fact, I'm so thrilled, I'm not going to be angry with you for not telling me you were in ill health."

Lorelai continues glancing at her mother, knowing she was far from thrilled with this idea of being even closer to Gran.

"I will be fine, Richard."

"You will be fine." He says sternly. "As soon as you're back here, I'll send you to the finest doctors."

"Whatever you say." Gran smiles kindly at her son.

"And Emily and I are going to look after you day and night. You can count on us."

"I knew I could. Well, it's time for the next course. Waiter, our next course, please." She says.

"I'm not done." Emily says quickly.

"What do you mean? You had 12 minutes." Gran informs her.

"I'm not done." Emily says, standing her ground.

"Fine. We will wait."

Emily starts cutting her food into very small pieces while she continues looking at Gran. Gran rolls her eyes at Emily. Lorelai looks on proudly. "That'll do, pig. That'll do." She tells her mother.


Dean is in the school waiting for his sister to come out of the bathroom when Jess walks in.

"Need some help with the big words?" Jess asks sarcastically seeing Dean reading something that's up on the bulletin board.

"Sure. Why don't you come over here and I'll show you which one is giving me a hard time." Dean tells him.

Jess laughs. "You're getting a little pathetic, man."

"Thanks for the heads-up."

"'Let's be friends?'" Jess asks, mocking Rory from earlier.

"No, thanks."

"You don't think I know what you're doing? You're too transparent."

"Get out of here, Jess."

"Rory's taking pity on you. That's why the sudden interest in being your friend."

"Whatever you say."

"The saddest part of this whole thing is—"

"Man, you like hearing yourself talk." Dean interrupts.

"You really think that by being her friend you're gonna get her back."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Dean says smugly.

"No?"

"Rory and I are just friends, like you and her were just friends." Dean explains, smiling. "And look how it turned out for you."

Clara walks out of the bathroom. "Okay, I'm ready for popcorn." She tells her brother.

"You got it."

"Bye, Jess." Clara says as she and Dean walk away. "Do you think Rory wants some popcorn?"

Dean glances at Jess. "I don't know. Let's go ask her."


Lorelai and Rory are sitting outside the house on the steps of her porch. Lorelai had just explained everything that happened that night with Emily and Gran.

"She made four green beans last an hour-and-a-half." Lorelai says, still impressed. "She finally got to the last bean, she cut it in six pieces. I thought Gran was gonna lunge across the table at her."

"The student surpasses the master." Rory nods.

"I was a little proud." Lorelai smiles. Lauren walks outside dressed in her coat, hat, and a few blankets wrapped around her. She sits down on the other side of Lorelai. "Hey, you shouldn't be out here." Lorelai says as she wraps her arm around her sick daughter, pulling her in close.

"The medicine wore off." Lauren tells her as she sniffs.

"We'll get some more in you before you go to bed later." Lorelai kisses Lauren on her head, checking for a fever.

"I'm bummed I missed the carnival." Lauren frowns.

"There's a snow cone in the freezer for you." Rory tells her.

"How'd it finally end with Cheech and Chong?" Lorelai asks.

"Well, Jess knows I'm friends with Dean." Rory shrugs. "Dean knows I'm dating Jess. They both seem fine with it." Lorelai smiles lovingly at her oldest. "What?"

"I just like that—once in a while, you still seem like a little kid."

"They do. I swear."

Lorelai laughs and wraps her other arm around Rory, bringing both her girls close. "Let's just watch the snow."